Some what random thoughts on faith, pastoring, and life in general from a bald guy who loves books and equipping families to be all God designed them to be.

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Review: The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus by D. A. Carson

Recently I was looking for something that did a good job at thoroughly
and thoughtfully walked through the teaching on the coming of the Holy Spirit
and so I asked my former Theology professor who pointed me to this work of
Carson’s. Though over 35 years old, he told me it is still one of the best
treatments of the topic. I was then pleasantly surprised to see it had been
repackaged and reprinted. It an age when new books are released at an alarming
rate, one that is in print over 3 decades after being written says something.

Having read much of Carson over the years, I knew that this
book would go into great detail and had the potential to be a very heavy read.
I found however as I worked through it that it was relatively easy to read and
Carson’s points well built and not overly technical. Though not overly heavy
and technical, the book is also not a lightweight full of filler or fluff. As
anyone who has read much of Carson knows, he is no light weight, however this
book certainly strikes a good balance between providing an in-depth scholarly
walk through John 14-17 and yet remaining accessible to the serious reader.

In short, if you are looking for something to go deep into
this part of the Gospel of John that is not overly technical, this is certainly
the book for you. If you are preaching through the Gospel of John, this is a definite
read.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange
for an honest review.